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Tahini Goddess Salad

Nicolaus Balla
“This is a great meal by itself with a loaf of bread and a couple of dips or as the accompaniment to a summer feast,” says Balla. “I like the versatility of the tahini dressing. Not only is it great on salads with a variety of summer veggies but it is also great as a marinade for fish and chicken and a sauce for grilled veggies.”
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Course Salad
Servings 6 - 8

Ingredients
  

FOR THE DRESSING

  • 1 cup sesame tahini
  • ½ cup lime juice
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup dried apple pieces
  • ½ cup apple juice
  • ½ cup neutral salad oil
  • 6 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
  • 1 whole Serrano chile
  • 2 tablespoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons fine sea salt
  • 1 bunch chopped cilantro

FOR THE SALAD

  • 6 heads little gem or romaine lettuce, washed
  • Summer vegetables: baby radishes, carrots, sweet peppers, cherry or slicing tomatoes, blanched green beans or Romano beans, grilled summer squash, sugar snap peas, etc.
  • Tahini dressing (recipe below)

FOR THE GARNISH

  • Avocado slices
  • Cilantro leaves
  • Basil leaves
  • Toasted pumpkin and sesame seeds
  • Avocado oil
  • Black pepper

Instructions
 

FOR THE DRESSING

  • Purée all ingredients, except the tahini, in a blender on high speed until very smooth.
  • Then, add them to a bowl and whisk in the tahini.

FOR THE SALAD

  • Cut the lettuce into quarters lengthwise. If the leaves are large, cut in half again so the leaves are 2 to 3 inches long. Cut the summer veggies into halves, quarters or bite-sized pieces.
  • Place the prepared lettuce and veggies in a mixing bowl and gently mix with enough dressing to slightly coat everything, but not so much that there is dressing pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Transfer the salad to a serving platter and drizzle with an extra spoonful of the tahini dressing. Garnish with plenty of crunchy seeds, freshly ground black pepper, basil and cilantro leaves, sliced avocado and a drizzle of avocado oil.

Notes

CHEF TIPS
  • Taste a tiny bit of the chile before using. If it is very large or very spicy, only use ½ in the dressing.
  • Cutting the lettuce lengthwise creates a nice counterbalance to the bite-sized, crunchy veggies.
  • The beauty of this salad is the ability to mix and match whatever is in season. Feel free to use whatever catches your eye at your nearest farmers market or grocery store.
Keyword tahini